Springsteen Warm-Up Show #1: Full Setlist and a Warning Shot
The first of two Springsteen warmup gigs is in the books and already fan reaction has begun, according to 11, my source for most things Springsteen. That reaction? Predictable. Apparently there are some fans complaining too many songs from Bruce’s upcoming album Magic were included in the set list.
I will now do a public service to all my rockin’, touring brethren.
Boys and girls, the album-tour cycle is not new and it wasn’t invented by Bruce. It’s a standard convention of the pop/rock era. When a band is releasing their first album in four years and touring together for the first time in four years to promote said new album, they’re going to play a few songs from it! It’s going to happen! You must know this in advance. You don’t have to like it, but you do have to accept it. If that bums you out, save your money and your breath.
Getting back to BruceFan… I wrote about some of the different camps within BruceFan when Seeger Sessions was released. There are the sycophants who think Bruce can do no wrong. There is also this crowd claiming to be fans while having nothing nice to say about anything he does.
When Bruce and Jon Landau inevitably put me in charge of Camp Springsteen, the impossible to please crowd is in for a rude motherfucking awakening because there will be law and there will be order. I’m going to thin the herd and you fuckin’ people are first to go. These are the same people who are trashing “Terry’s Song,” a song he wrote about his friend of 23 years, Terry Magovern. You fuckers are out of here and you won’t be missed! Dissension is allowed, dickheadedness is not. You sycophant fucks are going to get dealt with, too, after the bitch-n-moan crowd.
Last night was a warmup show before the main tour. Do you think these guys have forgotten how to play “Night” or “Darlington County?” The purpose of the warmup gigs was, in part, to brush up on those classics but mostly to get their feet wet playing these new songs. It’s also a possibility these warmup shows will include more new songs than the actual tour dates will as these gigs are dress rehearsals.
1. Radio Nowhere
2. No Surrender
3. Gypsy Biker
4. Empty Sky
5. Something in the Night
6. Girls in Their Summer Clothes
7. Night
8. Promised Land
9. Livin’ in the Future
10. Devil’s Arcade
11. Candy’s Room
12. She’s the One
13. Lonesome Day
14. My Hometown
15. The Rising
16. Last to Die
17. Long Walk Home
18. Thundercrack
19. Born to Run
20. Darlington County
21. American Land
Filed under: Tags: A Day Late and a Dollar Short, Bruce Springsteen
I have never understood why “fans” are upset at a large amount of a new album being played. That’s exactly why I’m going - I want to hear NEW music, not the same 10-15 songs bands play on every tour, which the band has most likely released on at least one live album or DVD. I wish more “older” artists would actually focus on their new releases, to hell with the naysayers.
I actually think it’s more telling when an artist clearly has so little faith in his (or her) new work that they spend 95% of the show just rehashing their glory days. As it were.
Case in point, Paul McCartney. To support his “Chaos and Creation” tour, he was delivering set lists of 25+ songs, only 2 or 3 of which were from the new album he was supposedly touring in support of.
Bruce is putting out some of the best music of his career these days. Damned straight he’s going to showcase it in his live show.
Garett, I think it’s that these artists have so little faith in their fans’ ability to accept, absorb, and embrace new music that they don’t challenge them by playing it. I also think some artists are charging outrageous prices for their tickets and therefore pander to the audience by playing them a greatest hits show.
Bruce isn’t guilty of either of these things. Bruce has kept ticket prices far more reasonable than many artists and is willing to piss some people off by challenging his audience with his new work. I agree he’s made some good stuff in these later stages of his career and I can’t wait to hear Magic.
Besides… he played “Thundercrack!” How cool is that?
if josh plays in a band, they must be named “the sycophant fucks”!
seriously though, i just don’t get the bitching. was Bruce supposed to put the band back together, write and record new material, and then just play a greatest hits show. geezuz.
last night’s setlist. the ending could only be made better with the addition of one song:
Thundercrack->Born To Run->Darlington County->American Land->Rosalita
i’m not sure i could have remained conscious for that.
I wish all these fucking assholes that complain about what he does and does not play would just the fuck stay home so that I and others like myself would be able to get tickets and enjoy what Bruce offers.
Antonis, I here you loud and clear. But I am not siding with you on this. You sound like a loyal fan who thinks that Bruce can do no wrong. Your passion and intent is all good, but it is directed at the wrong side of the problem. You need to make Bruce aware that he has divided his camp and is about to provide a very bad time for some of his fans.
Not actually being a Bruce fan myself I could care less about what songs he sings to his fans. On the other hand, I wish he would stick with the songs that he is best known for because as a ticket broker I am more likely to get the big bucks from folks when they know what to expect at a concert. For example: Check out
any Rolling Stones concert in the last 15 years or so and if you’ve seen any one of them you’ve seen them all. And know what? They’re hands down dollar for dollar the most popular and the most expensive concert ticket you can get. The Stones know what their fans want and they also know that it isn’t a bunch of new shit that no one as ever even heard before. Concerts should not be some kind of test platform for new material.
I guarantee it, that it would not be the kind of experience that most of his fans were hoping for.
Bruce, your fans are great and are forgiving of you for whatever kind of performance you decide to give them. All I’m asking is, as one who is directly impacted by your decisions, is to be a little bit more attentive to your audiences desires. We would all hope to share in this common goal of satisfying the customer. If you give your fans reason to believe that they are going to really enjoy themselves at your concert, (and you know what it would take to do that) then I could be fairly certain that we could enjoy a 15 to 20% increase in ticket revenue and not to mention that this kind of excitement can have a huge impact on memorabilia sales, shirt sales and food and drinks as well. It could be a real party, But,….. But, it’s all up to you Bruce. You know Bruce, unfortunatly for you, it won’t be a concert full of Antonis’s running around blindly lapping up whatever splattered onto the stage after some rectal recital of a new tune. There’s going to be a house full of folks expecting to see something that they can at least recognize.
G Minton, I’m going to disagree with you just slightly but I do thank you for the civil and reasoned response you’ve posted here. Here are a few points to ponder…
***These gigs specifically were billed as warmup gigs. These gigs are essentially dress rehearsals with the money being donated to charity. These gigs are designed for the band to tryout the new material in preparation for the full scale tour that kicks off in less than two weeks.
***This tour, unlike the reunion tour, is being launched specifically to promote and support the new album Magic. 90% of bands are going to play 2/3 minimum of that new album on the subsequent supporting tour. This is not new! Bruce has been doing it for decades. He’s out to promote a new album of music he’s excited about and proud of. It’s the Magic tour. If you’re not interested in hearing Magic songs, this is not the show for you. There’s no false advertising or misrepresentation here. The cards are on the table. Fans have a choice to sit out any time they want. Concerts have always been a test platform for new material. “Born to Run” was a new song once. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” was not a classic until it became a classic, if you will. Everything starts new. Time dictates what’s remembered. I’m not betting against Bruce’s ability to write another classic this time out.
***Satisfying the customer… there are some people who are going to love this new album and want to hear new songs rather than the same songs they’ve heard on every tour since Darkness in ‘78. Fans who hate everything post “Thunder Road” aren’t the only customers at the show.
***It’s not like he’s not going to play any of the heritage material we’ve all come to know and love. What he’s not likely to do is play a show of bootlegged European B-sides.
***This is not a jukebox arrangement. You paid your money to hear the band play, but he’s not taking requests. A good performer will take into account what his fans want to play, but he’s not bound to regurgitate on demand.
***You (plural) really can stay home if you’re so sure you’re not going to like the show.
Let me lastly say I have no problem with people being critical. I won’t have a problem with anyone who says, “I don’t like this new album and if that’s what the tour is going to be, you can count me out.” That’s a reasonable opinion. That’s a reasonable response. I think blind loyalty is stupid. I also think it’s dumb to curse the darkness when you could light a candle.
Bruce could sing about brushing his teeth while wiping his ass…it’s all good to me! However, I would not buy the album.
Josh, I apologize for refering to you as a pompous ass. GMinton and his ilk get me so riled up with their negativity about Bruce that sometimes I just lose it. I hope that even though my last comment was banned, I am am still welcomed to this forum
Antonis, you’re welcome to come by any time, my friend. You’re also welcome to disagree with the opinions of the host; we just try to keep things a little more civil around here. Passion and debate are good. Speak your mind whether you agree or disagree, let’s just all try to keep things cool. Thanks for checking back in. I’m working on a story about the first night of the tour and look forward to your thoughts about that and the new album now that’s it’s been officially released.
Hi everyone: I’d like to start by saying that I’m very happy that there is a wonderful forum like this where us Bruce fans can get together to share our feelings and give our opinions! Everyone here seems really nice and understanding with the exception of a few like Antonis. Thank you to whomever you are for providing this place.
I would also like to weigh in on the topic of new songs versus the old songs being sung at Bruce’s recent concerts from another point of view, which I have yet to see presented.
I strongly favor the “new songs” side of the debate. As a matter of fact, I would not even attend a concert by Bruce if he were to sing his older songs. Now, I know some of you diehard Springsteen fans might think that
I must be crazy for feeling that way; yet there are many others who know precisely what I’m talking about. But for those who do not understand, believe me when I tell you, there is a very good reason behind my saying that I do not want to hear any of his older songs!
My partner and I, along with our three daughters, ages 8 thru 13, will be attending the Oakland Ca. concert on 10/26. And we’ve already decided that, should Bruce start singing any of his older stuff like “Born to be Wild” or other old songs, is when it would be a good time to all get up and take a bathroom break or go to the concessions. Should the older songs continue, then we will just have to leave for good. The reason we feel so strongly about this issue is because we are gay. And as gay (lesbian) parents of three young impressionable children, two of whom are also gay (who could easily be influenced by a rock star’s personal biases regarding what’s considered “normal” in sexual relationships), we feel that it would be inappropriate for them to be exposed to this. Not to mention our own uneasiness with his older songs, many of which are very denigrating to women in general but especially to lesbians. Ask yourself this question….When was the last time you have seen a Bruce Springsteen concert where there were any lesbians in attendance? Or, have you ever even known one single lesbian that was a Bruce Springsteen fan? The answer is no. And for good reason, that is until more recently.
His newer songs are lovely and very respectful to women, including gay women. Bruce has also taken a more active role in the gay community in the last couple of years and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Complete forgiveness may take a while but his new songs offer a good start and this is the main reason my partner and I are showing our support. We hope and we pray that Bruce has also come to realize the hurtful nature of some of his earlier songs and that he will continue to omit them from his concerts!
Thank you, Abbey
What gives with this Abey dissing me and saying I’m not nice. I’m very nice and I have gay friends too. They all happen to be men, but that is not the point.As far as the new Bruce album is concerned, if Sapphos is right and his new album does support Lesbian marriages, then I will refuse to listen to it. I will still buy it, becomes I am obsessed withjhaving everything Bruce puts out. As for the concert, if he plays a Melisse Etheridge song, I’m hella (a word I coined) out of there. So take that Abey who I think is not very nice.
{Comment Edited}
Antonis, we’re going to watch the slurs around here. None of that.
As to Abbey’s comment, I had refrained from responding because I find a lot of it bewildering. I still do. Regardless, I am going to insist upon some respect around here.
Antonis, I admire your passion and understand your slurs cannot be helped … I believe we have more in common than you think. Tossing off my clothes and sexuality to the side, we both love Bruce and and to breathe with him is a heaven we both desire. I’m not dishin you Antonis, but with fine ingredients you may be a splendid apetizer. Yummy, NOT!!!!! I WANNA BRUCE!!!.
Once again I apologize for being inappropiate with my choice of words. I did not mean to be insulting when I referred to Abey as a {edited}. Here in the Bay Area I hear this used all the time and it is not taken with any offense. There is a lesbian bikers club that tailgates with us at Raider games who call themselves {edited}. So once again I did not mean {edit} as a slur. I am Jewish and when people call me a Jew that is not a slur or an insult. It is what I am and I am proud of it. If they called me a fucking Jew than I would be greatly insulted. If I called Abey a fucking dyke then that would be a slur. But once again I meant {edited} in a descriptive manner. Anyway I got my tickets for Bruce and I am happy as can be and I hope to see everyone there including Abey and what I’m sure is her lovely family.
Josh, I give up … Antonis has his right to free speech. So be it.
In a descriptive manner I will refer to him as {edited}.
Oh, hell’s holy acre. I take an evening away to watch some fucking TV with my wife and this is the shit I come back to.
Guys, I’m not going to have this shit happening here. If you two want to taunt and antagonize one another, you’ll do that shit somewhere else. I’m going to remove the terms from these posts and I swear I’ll put everyone on a blacklist if this shit happens again. It stops now. This post is about Bruce Springsteen’s music. I’m going to lock this particular thread down because I’m so done with this.